Flowers of the Moonlight
by Boxed Princess
Summary: In one of his battles against Eggman Nega, Silver gets saved by a mysterious hedgehog. Meanwhile, he suffers his own internal conflict of whether he wants to know more about his past, and learn more about his father, whom abandoned him when he was born. And what will his new friend, Leaf, teach the young hedgehog about the real world? R&R please!
1. Chapter 1 - Who is that Girl?

Flowers of the Moonlight

By Boxed Princess

Chapter 1

The gray hedgehog ran down the moonlit path by himself, feeling bullets dodge him. He couldn't help but smile – he had not felt this alive for a long time. With a quick focus, he grabbed the bullets out of the air with his telekinesis and aimed them back at a few robots. Silver flew for a bit, avoiding a fallen tree stump, then ran faster and faced a cliff edge. "Shoot…" he muttered to himself and turned, forcing two robots together and causing a small explosion.

A sudden blow to his side caused the male to collapse to the ground. Grasping his side, he looked up, closing one eye and twitching the other. "Dammit, Eggman Nega…" he grunted, then weakly stood up.

The gray-mustached man rose from his giant robot and grinned cheekily. "I've got you now Silver," he said. "Now about that Chaos Emerald you have…" he said, holding out his hand and expecting him to hand it over. Doctor Eggman Nega let out a cackle as the hedgehog did not oblige to his wishes. He then got back into the robot. "Looks like I'll have to kill you then," he beamed, then pressed a few buttons which launched rockets in the hedgehog's direction.

Silver's life flashed before his eyes. Being born, abandoned by his father, living with his other family. He closed his eyes and was ready to accept his fate. He had never seen his father's real identity, or ever met his mother since she died on the day he was born. Why, why? Why did this have to happen to him?

He felt heat hit his face but no pain. He stumbled back to find that a large tree had grown in front of him, a tall thick redwood. The base was quickly vaporized by the explosion and at the top of the tree he could see a figure stand. The tree fell over, and the figure carefully stayed at the top, maintaining their balance and landing in front of Eggman Nega's robot. He could slowly make out a feminine form in front of him and noticed that her arms were on her hips. He ran forward and the figure made itself clearer now – it was a green hedgehog with green curly hair and (since he was facing her backside) he couldn't make up much but a green skirt with a pink ribbon tied around it, green shoes, and a green tank top. He quickly floated forward and then landed next to the girl. "Who are you?" he asked her.

"Hah." She just simply said. She then moved her arms out and vines grew from the ground. Her eyes and hands began to glow greenish as she rose up, attacking Eggman Nega, severely damaging his large robot which he was in. Vines were pulling the robot down, but Nega quickly broke free, his robot damaged by a few dents and scratches.

"This won't be the last time Silver," Eggman Nega cursed, and flew away with his robot.

"Pardon," he said, grabbing the girl's arm, but she had just then collapsed on the ground. Knowing Silver, he could not just simply leave a girl who had just saved his life laying out in the middle of Selstice city's forest unconscious. I mean – what if Nega came back? He rolled his eyes and realized the sort of situation this had put him in. He moved down onto his knee and picked the unconscious green hedgehog up, then carried her back to his home.

* * *

Silver placed the girl down on his bed and let out a small sigh. He had never…really…had a girl in his apartment before. He dropped his head a bit before noticing the girl slowly open her eyes. Her eyes shined in beautiful aquamarine pools which gazed into Silver's golden eyes. She smiled a bit.

"Who are you?" Silver questioned. "You saved my life…and you were unconscious so I brought you back here."

"I'm Leaf," the girl said, wiping her eyes with her green gloved hands and then taking another glance at the boy. She quickly looked around her surroundings and felt for her pocket. "Ah…here it is," she said, pulling out a bag that was sewn together by a child. She moved it up to her nose and sniffed it. "It has incenses from Adabat." She giggled, then placed the small bag in the pocket of her skirt again. She glanced over at the boy opposite from her. "I mean…I…well…I used to be the village's guardian until I helped develop some weapons for self-defense against some dark forces that would show up. And there I go again, telling everyone about my life story. I don't have anywhere to live, basically," she smiled. "But I'd better be off. I'm exploring the world!" she giggled.

"W-wait!" Silver called out, grabbing her arm and turning her around. As soon as he touched her, his fur spiked up, and his cheeks grew red. _What is this feeling? She seems so familiar…but I just can't place it._ He looked over at her and then let go of her. "You can stay here," he said.

The girl seemed a bit tense at first but then relaxed a bit. "Are you sure? I do not want to cause any trouble," she said hesitantly. "But if that is okay with you…then I guess I shall stay," she grinned.

"No trouble at all, I owe you one for saving my life," he said. "But Eggman Nega will be back. So, the question is, what are we going to do? And will you fight by my side?" he asked her.

Leaf shuffle a bit. "To be honest I'd love to, but I'm not the best at fighting," she said. "I mean, in certain environments, if there is no plant life around anywhere, I can't grow them to save you," she said.

"That's okay," Silver replied. He then ran a hand through his quills and gazed down at the smaller green hedgehog. He couldn't help but find himself a bit attracted towards the individual. She was cute for sure – big blue-green eyes, the way she held her hands together and stood, she was wife material. He smirked a bit and then put his hand down by his side again. "I hope that you can make yourself at home here," he said.

* * *

 _"Father!" the young boy called out. A dark figure rose from the ground and the boy ran toward it. "Father, please come back!" he yelled, running towards the figure. "I'm never fast enough to catch up to you…" he mumbled._

 _"Some of us are just born that way," the dark voice replied. "You inherited your speed and powers from your mother," he said, stopping and turning around. "Your mother…she's dead because of you, you know?" he snarled._

 _"No dad! Stop!" he said, clenching his temples and feeling tears roll down his cheeks. "Please stop! I know it's my fault…"he whimpered, then looked back up at the figure. "Why do you do this to me?!"_

 _"Because you deserve it."_


	2. Chapter 2 - Father

Chapter 2

Silver woke up, his cheeks stained with tears. He looked around and remembered he was on the couch, sleeping under a few blankets. He got up, wiping his eyes, and then stretched a bit. The white fur on his chest tickled his nose and he just rolled his eyes as this would happen when he stretched. He turned to face his balcony, and saw Leaf there maintaining his dying flowers. He walked out, feeling a chilly breeze rustle through his quills and he looked down. Below him, Leaf was on her knees, moving her hands in certain swift movements around the plants, making them grow. "Sorry, I'll stop if you want," she said. "They were dying, and I can't help but fix it up," she said.

"Leaf, you really don't have to-"

"It's my thank you for letting me stay here," she smiled. "Come on, Silver," she smiled. "I barely even know you, so it's not like I can buy you anything with the little money I have," she said in a positive, reminding tone. "What are you up doing at this hour anyway?"

"I should be asking you the same question," he replied. He crossed his arms. "I just had a bad dream, that's all." He frowned at the thought of his mysterious father scolding him. Was it really his fault that his mother was dead? No, he couldn't think of it without tearing up. He brought his focus down to the green hedgehog again.

"Silver, are you okay?" she asked in concern. "Here, come with me." She reached forward and touched his hand, holding onto it. Silver felt his chest fur explode into tiny thin pricks as his face brushed bright red. "Come on," she said, leading him to his bedroom and sliding the covers open for him. "I'll sleep on the couch."

"No, Leaf-"

"It's fine," she smiled, tucking him in and turning off the light. "Please rest," she said, then closing the door behind her.

Silver rolled his eyes and turned over in his bed, pulling the covers over himself. "She's so demanding," he smiled. "Time to sleep," he reminded himself, then closed his eyes again.

* * *

" _Silver."_

" _Huh?"_

 _A bright being stood behind him. He turned to see it; he could barely make out a figure, but it was a feminine figure with hair that reached down to her knees. Her fur was golden and her eyes were green. "Salutations," the hedgehog said in a calming voice. "Protect her."_

" _Protect her? Who?"_

" _Protect her."_

* * *

Silver woke up again, this time it was eight in the morning. He rubbed his temples. He could not understand the girl he was supposed to protect. He opened the door to find Leaf still asleep, snoring a little. He smiled a bit and poured himself a bowl of cereal. Silver leaned against the cabinet, waiting a bit and thinking, then went and poured milk into his bowl.

Leaf had gotten up and smiled at him. "Good morning," she yawned, then stood up, going over there. "What are we going to do today?" she asked him, sitting at the table and crossing her legs, one over the other. She watched his movements with her big blue eyes and then settled down. "Silver, do you have any powers?" she asked him.

"Telekinesis," he said, shoveling a spoonful of cereal into his mouth and then gazing over at her. "See, watch this." He lifted the bowl off the counter, making it levitate, and then placing it back down. "I was planning on meeting someone today." He shuddered a bit. Every first Saturday of the month, he had to meet up with his father, whom always hid under a cloak.

"Can I come?"

"No, sorry. It's a bit personal," Silver said, biting his lower lip and then turning around, remembering how much he will dread today. Every month was the same – get scolded by him, tell him that he's the reason why his mother was dead, just like in his dreams, and the emotional manipulation that would make Silver want to just end it all one day. Never see his father again, like it should be. All his father would do was wear down his self-esteem and make him feel terrible at the end of the day.

"Sorry I asked." Silver could note a tone of jealousy in Leaf's voice. Maybe she believed that he was seeing someone? It wasn't like that at all though!

"It's my father," Silver noted. "That's who I'm seeing." Leaf looked a bit confused. He let out a sigh and knew that it was too early in their friendship to open up to her about his past so he just ended this awkward moment. "I can only see him once a month."

Leaf seemed to calm down and she stood up. "I think I'm going for a walk."

 _Protect her._

"Wait, don't do that," he said in an alarmed tone. He shuffled nervously over. "I don't want you to be targeted by Eggman Nega. He will be stronger than before," he said. He could sense suspicion from Leaf's aura, and he moved forward and grabbed her hand, blushing. "Listen, Leaf, I'm just worried that you won't be able to protect yourself if you collapse like you did last time." She now understood. "Good," he said. "Where I meet my father is on the outskirts of Selstice City, so I'll be back in the evening. I'll treat you to dinner," he smiled. He thought of the green hedgehog being by herself for 10 hours and just sighed. "Right, just stay in the city plaza, you'll be safe there," he said, then reached for his wallet. "Buy yourself something nice for tonight."

Silver turned and headed out the door. "See you later," he waved. He couldn't help but feel regret as he closed the door behind him, and he knew that he was going to regret leaving Leaf by herself.

* * *

Silver met up with his father where he usually did. A dark forest where no one would even go by. It was cold and foggy, and the fog made it hard to see even 10 feet ahead of him. A dark figure stood there, hiding underneath the cloak like usual. "Silver," he said in his deep voice, and stepped forward. "You haven't changed a bit," he said. "Not like you should," he said. "You're already pathetic enough."

"Dad…can you stop?" Silver growled, clenching his fist. "It's like this every time. It's not fair that you do this to me. You know I don't do well with this."

"Oh, but you will do better," he said. "I've been doing a bit of travelling, see." His low pitched voice felt painful in Silver's ears.

"How? Time travel is illegal now!" he said. "Father, stop this!" he grumbled.

"It doesn't stop me," he replied, his hollow voice once again dancing in Silver's ears and feeling like he was being mocked. "Laws shouldn't stop you either. But like I said before, you're going to soon find out that you will no longer need me."

"I don't need you!" Silver growled. "All you do is make fun, traumatize, and emotionally manipulate me! You're a fucking narcissist!" Silver growled. He then floated upwards.

"Silver, I advise against fighting me," the dark figure snarled. "I can fly too. And I'm much faster than you. You forget these things, do you not?"

"Dammit, no!" Silver grumbled. "You never tell me anything about you. It's always about me and mom!" He felt his blood boil in his veins as he lowered himself onto the ground. "Dad…why won't you show me who you are?" he asked.

"You are not emotionally ready," he answered. "I have, like I said before, travelled to the future, so I could decide when the proper time is to tell you who I really am," he said. "Otherwise, just leave it be. That Leaf girl…I'd recommend that you stay far away from her or you'll never grow independent. I'll see you next time."

A part of Silver knew that his father was right. Silver was naïve and dependent. It was a huge shock to his relatives when he decided to move out and live on his own.

" _But Silver! You can't! You don't even know how to make cup noodles for yourself!" Venice exclaimed, and would scold him for already buying an apartment with the money he made over the summer._

Silver shrugged and headed back to his apartment, which was a couple miles away.

"Oh, and by the way," the dark voice chimed. "If you are really curious upon seeing your future, take this." A green chaos emerald had rolled down and lightly tapped Silver's shoe. "Hide it carefully. Eggman Nega is searching for them and we must take them before he finds them," he said.

Silver took the emerald carefully and hid it away. He then turned to see the figure had left him. He then turned away and made his way home.


	3. Chapter 3 - Date

Chapter 3

Silver opened the door to his room to find that Leaf was not back yet. "Of course I should haven't given her that much money…" he said, pressing his palm to his face and then kicking back to relax. "She's probably spending it all on stupid dresses," he grumbled. Just as he said that, Leaf had walked in, wearing a new dress. Silver's eyes widened and he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. He stood up and quickly apologized. She was wearing a sparkly green dress that stuck closely to her figure and he blushed a bit as he looked at her. "I can't believe I'm going to be wearing nothing but just this and you're looking that good…" he mumbled, his cheeks pink.

"Nope, you're wrong about that! I bought this one second hand, and with the extra money I bought you a suit!" Leaf giggled, holding a box open in front of him. "I hope you like it," she smiled, shuffling from side to side. She seemed a bit nervous for some odd reason and her face seemed pinker than normal.

"O-oh, thanks Leaf!" he murmured, then took the tuxedo. He couldn't help but smile around her, and he walked forward and gave her a small hug before letting go of her. "Thanks," he smiled, looking down at her since she was rather short. "Alright, let me change. I'll be right back." Silver turned around and felt his cheeks turn even redder, and he went to his room and placed the chaos emerald into one of his drawers. He then put the tuxedo on himself, gazing at his reflection in the mirror. "Oh forget it already! You don't have a chance. It's not like you're attractive or anything!" he mumbled below his breath. He then walked out, tugging on the edges of his dress shirt and then spun around. "Do I look okay?" he asked her.

Leaf's eyes seemed to sparkle, like that of seeing a sight of a fluffy puppy. She clasped her hands together and giggled. "You look amazing!" she said. She then moved forward and grabbed his hand, causing Silver's chest fur to puff up again. "Where do you want to go?" she asked him. "I don't know any places around here, so it's up to you!" she grinned.

"Alright, follow me."

* * *

The two hedgehogs sat down at a table and waited for a server. While they did, small discussion was being passed around the two. The green hedgehog mumbled in a nervous manner, rubbing the soles of her shoes on the ground and such. Below the table she had latched onto the table cloth and began fumbling with it. She avoided eye contact with Silver, looking away from him.

"Hey Leaf, are you okay?" Silver asked, then watched her movements carefully. "You seem a bit uncomfortable," he noted, then looked over at her to see that her cheeks were bright red. _Does she maybe think that this is a date too?_ "Hey, Leaf…" he said, then finally got her attention when he reached forward and enveloped her hand in his. He then smiled at her, his golden eyes looking into Leaf's blue ones.

"I-I'm sorry…" she said softly. "I-it's just that…I've never really…eaten out with someone else before," she mumbled, then looked at him and smiled. "I grew up in a different culture," she smiled. "You might have remembered me mentioning Adabat earlier," she said.

"That's so cool!" Silver smiled. "What was it like living there? How is it different from Selstice City?" he asked, genuinely curious of how the hedgehog ended up in his hometown.

"It is pretty interesting," she mumbled, then looked over. "I grew up learning a different language, and then finally English," she said. "So I'm a bit rusty in a few parts of the English language, but I hope you do not mind…" Now that Silver noticed it, Leaf had a little bit of an accent.

"I don't mind at all, I think it's really cute," Silver grinned, closing his eyes reassuringly.

Leaf's blush intensified. "Well…yeah…" she whispered. "So I grew up protecting the Adabat natives from dark monsters. It's kind of strange, it only happened for a little bit of time, then Dark Gaia was sealed back into the earth."

 _Dark Gaia? Wasn't that hundreds of years ago though, when Sonic reigned? Is she from the past, or immortal?_ "Um, Leaf…" Silver started. "I don't want to put you in an uncomfortable situation here but I do have a question…" he mumbled. "Dark Gaia wasn't sealed in until hundreds of years ago…so…how old are you?"

All the colors from the green hedgehog's face flushed away. "U-uh…I-I…" She bit her lip and looked down, kicking her feet around a little bit. "Look, please don't turn me in…" she whispered. "I time travelled, okay? I know it's illegal but the people of Adabat predicted that my future would be happier here…that I actually belong here…"

Silver nodded in understanding. "It's okay, Leaf, I understand," he said, then moved his hands over and began eating some of the food that was served. "My father time travels too. He says he does it for my own good but…yeah. It's illegal. Just don't talk about it and you'll be fine." Silver looked around nervously. "So how was life different back then? I know that Sonic was living in that era, so did you ever meet him?" he asked.

"I did once," Leaf noted, pressing her index finger to her lip. "It was long ago though, back when he was on his quest to seal Dark Gaia back into the earth's crust. He was a bit too cocky for me, so I just said hi and bye, not knowing that he was going to be well-respected in the future here," he said. "And then there's Shadow. He hasn't been seen for hundreds of years but I've heard that there's rumors of him being around here, you know?" she questioned.

"Hm…" Silver said, eating more food. "So does that mean-" He stopped himself and then looked around carefully. "You have a chaos emerald?" he asked.

Leaf nodded carefully. "Please don't turn me in…one of the main reasons why I came here was to stop Eggman Nega. A huge disaster will be upon us if Eggman Nega gets ahold of all seven chaos emeralds. I was sent to the future to protect Mobius."

Silver nodded as he finished his food. "Hey Leaf, let's go on a walk," he said. "I feel like it would be better to discuss this when no one's around."

* * *

The scenic forest route that Silver would usually take when he was stressed out seemed even prettier with Leaf there. Fireflies were dancing over the grass, liquid moonlight shone on the pond beside the road, and the grass was dripping with dew. "This is my favorite place in the city," Silver pointed out. "I think it's the prettiest part too." He sat down and then looked at Leaf. "So you came here by time travelling? Why though?"

"Oh, because…well…like I said before, it's to prevent Eggman Nega from getting all seven chaos emeralds," she said. "They have been scattered through time, and the city of Adabat was one of the only cities in the past that still held the chaos emerald." Leaf shoved a hand in her pocket and then reached out for the orange-colored emerald. She handed it to him. "Here you go," she smiled. "I no longer need it, I think I'm happy staying here," she giggled. "You should tell me a bit more about yourself."

"That's a long story," Silver smiled. "I had done some time travelling as well in my lifetime as well. I don't have too many memories of it because according to the history books, they were wiped out after a certain event in Sonic the hedgehog's timeline. It's really complicated, but to put it simple – when I was born, my mother had died in a car accident. My father left me behind with Venice, my cousin. He's kind of annoying though, especially when he was around his girlfriend, Sicily. Whatever, the point is, I used to live with them until a few months ago where I persuaded them that I'm good enough to move by my own pace," he said, keeping focus on Leaf.

Leaf was tearing up a bit. "I-I'm sorry that you lost your mother like that," she said, then leaned forward and hugged the weak gray hedgehog. "You don't deserve any of this," she whispered in his ear.

Leaf's aura was warm and welcoming. Silver couldn't get enough of how overwhelmed he was with emotions as she touched him, but she moved away after a few seconds, leaving her warmth on his chest and arms. Was now a good time to confess? "Leaf, I-"

"Silver, let's head home," Leaf smiled, not meaning to interrupt him. "Oh sorry, what were you going to say?"

"Oh, nothing at all," he grinned shallowly.


	4. Chapter 4 - Dark Hedgehog

AUTHOR NOTE: Please read Goddess of the Moon, it is a prequel to this series and the ending of that will tie in with the beginning of this story! Thank you!

* * *

Chapter 4

Leaf gazed at a poster on the wall. A few weeks had passed since the two hedgehogs had met and they were getting used to living together. "The Moon Festival?" she asked Silver. "Why is there a festival for that?" she asked him, then looked over at the gray hedgehog and smiled. "Silver, look! It's next weekend!"

Silver just shrugged. "It's a festival that my relatives started a few years ago to celebrate the death of my mother, and…well…my birthday," he said in a dry voice.

"O-oh…Why does it celebrate the moon, if I may ask?"

"My mother's name was Selene, which was derived from the Apotos myth of the goddess of the moon. Her lover, Endymion, also known as my father, a hedgehog of earth, had fallen in love with her and gazed at her all the time, observing her movements in the sky. But that's just a myth. I still don't know my father's identity nor do any of my relatives. The whole celebration is to mourn the death and have hope in finding my father's true identity."

"Endymion…" Leaf repeated. "Silver, what if this year's the year? The year we find out who your father is?" she asked him, moving to his side and tugging on his arm cutely. "Silver, I'm going to find your father for you!" the green hedgehog planned.

"Leaf, don't." Silver pulled away from the blue-eyed girl and looked down at her. "I don't care about my father, and he doesn't care about me, okay? It's just another festival to remind me that I was responsible for the death of my mother."

"Silver-"

"Leaf, it's okay," he said, rubbing his hands together. "I've accepted this fact years ago." _Or maybe I haven't._ Silver moved forward and then kept walking, the green hedgehog tagging along. "It's really fine, Leaf, don't sweat it."

"I-I don't want to sound like a bother, Silver," she said, grabbing onto his hand and making him go still. This made the gray hedgehog's cheeks turn pink like usual. "Can I…maybe…make an outfit for this event?" she asked. "When I lived in Adabat, I learned to sew my own dresses by hand. Fabric doesn't cost much here and I was wondering if I could get some and make an outfit to celebrate your birthday, you know…" She scratched the back of her head. "F-for you…"

Silver smiled. "Of course, Leaf," he said.

He then ran his hands to her sides and leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Leaf's, watching the tiny green hedgehog's face blush. It was really cute, he thought. "Follow me," he said, walking down a brick path to the city.

* * *

The two hedgehogs walked out with a bag of fabric and other sewing supplies. "Thanks for all of this, Silver," she smiled. "I hope to look nice on your birthday, it's what we natives from Adabat do," she taught.

Silver grinned. "I'm excited to see what will turn out from all that fabric," he directed at her, having high hopes.

 _Protect her._

Silver's smile faded away. "Leaf, I think we should get home as soon as possible."

* * *

Leaf had been hiding in Silver's room all night working on her dress, and finally the tired gray hedgehog walked in. Leaf quickly shoved the dress in a box and shoved it under his bed for storage, scraps of fabric littering the floor. "Sorry about that," she said, leaning down and picking up the pieces. "It'll all be clean by tomorrow, I think I'll finish the dress by then," she smiled. She noticed a tired look on the hedgehog's worn out face. "Silver, come here," she said, grabbing his gloves and pulling him onto the bed. "I think it's better if you go to bed," she said.

"Leaf…I need to be honest with you…"

 _Don't tell her. Do it and I'll rip your entrails out and decorate the entirety of Selstice City with them, hedgehog!_

Leaf sat down on the bed, paying close attention to him. "What is it?" she asked.

 _Protect her, but at what cost?_

"Leaf, I-well…I think it'll be safer if you sleep next to me for tonight," he said. "I sense something really bad if I leave you out there alone," he whispered, as if someone else was hearing him. Leaf just blushed and avoided eye contact, not responding. "Sorry…but I think it's for the best, please hear me out, I've had bad dreams about all this-"

"Silver, I understand," she said, looking away. "I…I've had them too." Her eyes widened, and she shook her head. "Forget about it." She moved her head from side to side, then quickly walked to the bathroom. "I'm going to change, okay?" she asked him.

"Okay…"

* * *

 _The tiny gray hedgehog stayed in the arms of his dying mother. Her last words had been "Silver…I love you, Silver…" She closed her dark blue eyes and the dark figure had appeared before her, taking the child with no emotion, and had ran off with it._

"SILVER!" Leaf screamed, causing Silver to panic and run to the bathroom. On the floor, Leaf was on the ground clutching onto her temples and tears were running down her cheeks. "SILVER, NO!"

"Leaf! Leaf!" he called out, dropping to his knees and moving his hands to hers, then hugged her tightly. "Leaf, it's okay, why are you crying?" he asked. He then moved his hands and noticed her teary blue eyes had gazed into his yellow ones. "Leaf, please…calm down…"

"S-Silver…y-your mother…"

"Please, I know…calm down, Leaf." He had wiped her tears away but she kept crying and shaking. He lifted her off her feet and carried her to his bed, placing her down and holding her hands. "Leaf, I need you to be calm," he said, closing his eyes and watching the blue circles on his gloves glow. "I don't show this often to other people…and I had discovered that I inherited this power from my mother, but please, just don't cry…" He had placed his hands on her shoulder and watched her body tense up.

 _A black and red spiked hedgehog stood in front of Leaf._

 _"Leaf, your quest is to find me, and bring me to Silver," the dark voice of the hedgehog said. "But only do this at the Moon Festival. Something bad is going to happen if it doesn't happen in time," he directed._

 _Leaf nodded._

 _"Silver…you must protect him."_

 _Protect him._

Silver had collapsed next to Leaf after transferring the memory, and had been knocked out, snoring. "Silver," she murmured, covering the both of them up in the blankets. "Th-thank you…"


	5. Chapter 5 - Revealing

Chapter 5

The green hedgehog woke up and felt a familiar scent in her nostrils. She turned to see that Silver's arms were wrapped around her body. Blushing darkly, she slowly moved out and to replace her body, she placed her pillow in Silver's grip. It was cute how his eyes were closed and he was snoring a bit. She giggled and went to make breakfast.

She made the batter for pancakes, poured some of it on the skillet, and just waited a few minutes before flipping them over. She heard a small grunting noise and Silver had opened the door, looking over at her and smiled. "Good morning, Leaf!" he welcomed, then moved over on the other side of the counter and watched her. "What are you making? It smells good!" he complimented.

"Pancakes," Leaf responded. She pulled off a few from the pan and placed them on his plate, handing them over to him. "I hope you like them!" she beamed, then poured some more batter on the pan.

"Oh, these are delicious," the silver hedgehog grinned. He then finished his breakfast and looked over at the hedgehog. "Just a few more days until my birthday," he noted.

"Ah, don't remind me!" Leaf exclaimed. "I'm not even halfway done with the dress's details! I need it to look perfect for y-the Moon Festival!" she changed her wording a bit suspiciously but it was nothing that Silver was worried about. He rested his cheek in the palm of his hand and scanned over Leaf's body with his yellow eyes. "I'm just wondering if you'll make me anything?" he asked.

"I can't spoil it for you," Leaf teased. "That'd be your birthday surprise right out the window!" She then smiled, finishing up the pancake batter. "Do you want the last ones? I'm a bit too full," she said. "Sorry…"  
"It's fine," he said, grabbing the plate of pancakes and devouring them. Silver felt stuffed but in a good way, which he had not felt in a long time. Like back when he lived with Venice and Sicily, his cousin and his girlfriend. He looked over at Leaf and felt his body relax a bit. "I really like her…" he whispered to himself.

"Huh? Pardon?" Leaf said, picking up on his whispering. "Did you say something, Silver?"

"No," he said. "Just taking mental notes."

"Don't you have to see your father today?" Leaf reminded him politely.

"Oh yeah, you're right!" Silver said in alarm. He then was reminded of how verbally abusive his father would always treat him.

"Silver, about that vision last night-"

"It's okay, Leaf. Don't mind it, I don't know what I was thinking trying to put that much pressure on you," Silver confessed. "I'm sorry."

* * *

"Silver," the dark voice called out.

"Father?" he responded. "In three days, it'll be my birthday, you remembered, right?"

"Birthdays are just reminders of those who are getting older that someday your poor body will give out and you will die a painful death," the cloaked figure grunted. "Silver, of course I remembered. And I do have a present for you."

"Oh?" Silver wondered. He had never received a single gift from his father. To make up for it, Venice would always go out and buy something nice for him when he was younger, like a new pair of gloves or concert tickets.

"That is, if you decide to go to the Moon Festival. I will be there," he commented.

Silver felt a bit of shock go down his spine. He then looked forward. "Father, I don't want to see you there. You know that you'll be arrested if someone sees you looking so suspicious like you always do!"

"I am not going to be wearing this cloak."

Silver felt his face grow pale and then he stood in place. He could finally meet his father and see his true form. The gray hedgehog moved from side to side and let out a small sigh. "I understand, father." He then looked over. "But how will I know if it's you? There's thousands of Mobians that go there!" he said.

"Do you recall what had happened last night? You had transferred a message from me to Leaf last night through your powers. Leaf knows who I am, or at least vaguely knows my appearance by now."

"Right," he replied. "But why would you tell Leaf, but not me?"

"Because Leaf is the one that can decide whether you're ready or not to see me. You two were destined to meet, especially under the full moon."

"All this moon stuff doesn't make sense, dad!" Silver grumbled. "Or should I say…Endymion?"

The figure paused and then moved around the smaller hedgehog. "You believe in those stupid Apotos myths as well? That I'm Endymion?" he laughed. "Silver, you are easy to laugh at. What do you think? Honestly, tell me. Am I Endymion?"

Silver backed up nervously. "I-I don't know!" he shook, feeling fearful of getting hurt if he gave the wrong answer. "Just go, okay?" he yelled. "I want to spend my life with Leaf, not you," he growled, then walked off back to the city.

* * *

Silver opened the door to his apartment. "Leaf, I'm home," he called out.

"Silver!" a voice cried out. "Silver, thank goodness you're back!" Leaf walked out from his bedroom and had a worried expression on her face. "A girl named Aurora was just here. She told me that she's looking forward to hopefully finding your father this year!" she smiled.

"O-oh…" he murmured. Aurora was Silver's aunt. He felt a bit upset at first but then understood. "I-I'm fine without my father, Leaf," he confessed. "That's strange of her though. Anything else?"

"She gave me this," she said, handing him a box. "She told me that she wanted you to buy something nice with this birthday money," Leaf mumbled. Silver looked carefully into her eyes to see his reflection shine right back at him, as she seemed to be blanking out a bit. "Are you okay, Silver?"

"I'm fine." Silver just readjusted his gloves and then took the box. "Wow, she really outdid herself this time," she said. "Typical Phoenicias," he laughed.

"Phoenicias?"

"My last name – that is, until we find out who my father is." Silver then put the box away and slipped the money into his pocket. "Hey Leaf," he smiled, trying to get the young hedgehog's attention. "What's going on? Why are you constantly blanking out?" he asked, waving his gloved hand in front of her face.

"Sorry…It's probably the lack of sleep I've been getting due to all that work I've been doing on my dress." Leaf ran her hands over her knees to indicate that there were bandages there. "I've been falling onto needles. It hurts…but I don't really feel it as much because I'm so tired."

Silver lifted Leaf off her feet and walked over, placing her down on his bed. "Sleep better tonight, don't stress, I'm sure the dress will look nice," he said.

"Good night, Silver…"

* * *

 _Millions of small white flowers were open and exposed to the moon on a hillside. Silver felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him as he carefully walked through the flowers, seeing a figure at the bottom of the hill standing, washed in the pale colors of the moon. She turned and smiled – it was Leaf. She was wearing a flower crown while sporting a white long dress that reached down to her knees._

 _Silver floated down to her side and looked out onto the lake she was standing in front of. "It's really beautiful here," she said. Silver nodded in agreement. "Two days until your birthday, Silver. Two days until you meet your father. Do you look forward to it?"_

 _"No, I don't want to meet him, not after what he did," Silver murmured. "If I were Aurora, I'd use the Moon Festival as an excuse to find him and hurt him – after all, he's responsible for getting my mother pregnant!"_

 _"Silver, that's not the answer to this situation…"_

 _"I don't care! Leave me alone then!"_

 _"Silver-"_

 _"Go away!"_


	6. Chapter 6 - Mysterious

Chapter 6

Silver woke up, groggy as ever. Leaf was still sleeping next to him but he was bothered by her because of the way she had treated him in his dream. He moved the covers off of him, slipped on his trademark shoes and gloves, and headed to the kitchen. "Two days until my birthday," he reminded himself. "Two days until I find out who my father really is…"

He shuffled over to the couch and flopped down on it. He felt a wave of boredom wash over him and he just let out a sigh, hearing Leaf walk through. "Leaf, I don't think I'm going to go to the festival."

"Whaaat?" she exclaimed. "But Silver, you've got to, it's your birthday! Is your father stopping you from going?" She moved over next to him and then noticed how he was moving away. "Did I do something wrong?" she asked him, but got no response. "Silver…are you okay?"

"Leaf, just leave me alone," he growled. "Just go."

"Silver," she mumbled, moving forward to touch his arm but he pulled away in disgust. "I-I'm sorry…I don't know what I did wrong, please don't be mad at me-"

"Leaf, SHUT UP!"

Leaf backed away nervously and felt her heart beat faster. Tears were in the corners of her blue eyes, and she stood up. Dashing to Silver's room, she grabbed a few of her things and then, trying her best not to cry, she looked down at Silver one last time. "I hope you have a wonderful life."

Silver stood up and grunted, but Leaf had slammed the door behind her. In frustration, Silver focused on the couch and then flung it at the door, denting the doorframe. He growled, floating upward and about to break some glass before a voice stopped him.

 _Protect her._

Silver's golden eyes widened and his triangle ears pinned back, as he fell back onto the ground. "Leaf…" he murmured. "I-I'm sorry!" He moved the couch back in place and with a struggle he opened the door, then ran out but saw that she was long gone. He fell to his knees and felt a pang of guilt course through his veins. "Leaf, I'm sorry," he murmured, then pounded his fist to the wooden flooring of the balcony. "I couldn't protect you because I was so naïve…why…"

 _She isn't safe. Nobody is. Once the Moon Festival rolls around, disaster will strike Selstice City as you know it._

"What are these thoughts?! Who are you?" Silver clutched onto his head and then pounded the ground once more. "Please, go away!"

 _I certainly find it entertaining how feeble you are to my powers. You're a pathetic hedgehog, and I need to stop pretending to be the good guy here. Salutations, Silver. We shall meet at the Moon Festival. This is my last message to you. If you do not protect Leaf, which, according to the future, you do not, heed my call – I will rule this pathetic world of Mobius once more as I have done in the past, and you will all suffer the consequences of your poor behavior._

Silver murmured a bit. "I will find you…" he growled. "Stop giving a false sense of heroism to me, when in fact, you're clearly using me…" he whispered. After a bit of time of getting readjusted, he shifted forward. "I'm going to find you, Leaf!"

* * *

He had been searching for the green hedgehog for hours now. It was no use. He was frustrated and exhausted. "I know for sure that my thoughts and this…mysterious voice are two different beings. I can't stand it, ugh…" Silver headed back home. "Leaf, please come to the festival. I know you probably hate me, but I'm begging you…I know I was frustrated and I was wrong. I'm so sorry."

Silver unlocked his apartment and then closed the door behind him. He readjusted the doorframe using his telekinesis. The gray hedgehog floated over to his couch and then in boredom he plopped himself down on it like he had done this morning. He rolled over, grumbling a bit. "I'm sorry, Leaf…" he murmured. "I'm so sorry…"

He wondered off a little bit more. "But who is this other entity?" he questioned. "Her voice is feminine, so I'll assume she's just that. It sounds so familiar, but why can't I place it?!" He then moved over and pressed his hand across his chest, feeling his heart beat. "Just thinking about her makes my heart skip a beat. She's freaky."

* * *

 _"Silver."_

 _That warm voice tickled the gray hedgehog's ears. He turned around and faced a dark silhouette. "M-mom?" he squeaked like a little baby, and then moved forward. "M-mom, what are you doing here in my dreams?"_

 _"I'll see you in a day from now, Silver," she smiled. "Your father and I have been wanting to meet you for a long time now."_

 _"But you're…you're gone! You died 15 years ago!" Silver sniffed, then looked up at the angelic figure. "There's no way you can be here!"_

 _"You're right, Silver. There isn't a way I can be here. But it's actually something different. A Mobian came from the past and offered to bring me back to life if you would come to the Moon Festival with your father. She's quite lovely, actually! She had bought back a few other Mobians back with her powers!"_

 _"M-mom…that's really great…" he said, tears in his eyes. "So you, me, and dad can live together again!"_

 _"Sure thing!" the mother smiled. "And you can bring your girlfriend along too!"_

 _"Sh-she's not my girlfriend," Silver blushed. "We actually got into a fight earlier today."_

 _"Yes, I know," Selene mumbled. "She is staying with your father now. She will be at the Moon Festival in a day from now. Sounds good?" she questioned. "I'll see you later, Silver. I love you so much…"_


End file.
